Lauryn and Jake lost hope on marrying after tragic events forced them to cancel their big day twice. Then came the unbelievable generosity from strangers

An Aussie couple who had to cancel their wedding twice for tragic reasons have finally tied the knot after strangers stepped in to make their big day possible.

Lauryn and Jake, from the NSW Southern Highlands, had accepted they might never see a wedding after a series of family tragedies and a house robbery forced them to give up their special day more than once.

The couple agreed they wanted a casual and carefree wedding when they got engaged in 2022.

Lauryn said they decided on a whim to get married in July 2023 on Moreton Island, just off south-east Queensland.

They booked a cruise there, saying it would be a wedding and honeymoon in one, and organized a party where they would announce their marriage to their friends and extended family upon their return.

They set a date, found a celebrant, bought Lauryn’s dream dress and a suit for Jake, and planned to elope with just the immediate family.

But just three days before the big day, Jake’s brother died in a car accident and everything was put on hold while the family mourned.

The couple decided to reschedule their wedding, but this time they wanted it to be just for them because it didn’t feel right to celebrate after such a significant loss.

They decided to keep their original elopement plans, but then opted for an intimate dinner at their local pub for just a small circle of family and friends.

But disaster struck again.

Jake’s father was diagnosed with cancer and had to move in with the couple while he underwent treatment, after which his grandmother became seriously ill.

They traveled to say their final goodbyes, but returned to find their house had been broken into.

Then Jake’s grandmother died.

After rebuilding each other, Lauryn and Jake boarded their cruise ship with their wedding outfits tucked away in their suitcases, excited to get married.

On the day they were to dock at Moreton Island, they got dressed for their wedding and went down to disembark and sail to the island.

The couple agreed they wanted a casual and carefree wedding when they got engaged in 2022

Lauryn looked at the shore, eager to finally say yes to the man of her dreams when they received the news that it was too windy for the smaller boats to land safely.

She recalled bursting into tears and fellow passengers expressing their condolences to the sobbing bride.

The couple returned home and once again had to tell the story of a canceled wedding over and over again.

A friend of the couple said he had emailed Sydney radio stations asking for help in getting them down the aisle.

The Jonesy and Amanda Show on WSFM answered the call for help and one of the producers announced that they would host their wedding in just four days.

Lauryn said she was “in total shock” when she received the call.

Behind the scenes, the WSFM team worked around the clock to organize the express wedding, with many vendors donating their time and services.

The ceremony and reception took place at the Hyatt Regency in Sydney and with the help of Easy Weddings, the cake, flowers, celebrant, photographer and entertainment were organised.

All the producers at WSFM asked for was a rough guest list and a favorite cake flavor, the rest was taken care of.

The Jonesy and Amanda Show hosted a ceremony and reception at the Hyatt Regency in Sydney

Lauryn said she was overwhelmed when she walked into the venue, which far exceeded all their expectations.

Jake and Lauryn, who are finally husband and wife, celebrated with 50 close friends and the WSFM team, including radio hosts Amanda Keller and Brendan Jones.

The newlyweds said they are beyond grateful for an evening they could never have organized on their own.

“The flowers were my favorite – it was like they knew – and the beautiful three-tiered cake was incredible,” Lauryn said.

“We are super grateful and grateful to all the vendors who donated their time and services to make our wedding possible, and to the community who listened and followed.”